Literature in Long Day's Journey into Night -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 18:35:33 03/30/08 Sun
Author: JD
Subject: Literature in Long Day's Journey into Night

From the very beginning of this play, we see that literature has a prominent place in the lives of the three Tyrone men. It seems like each person uses his favored literature and authors as models in a way. James and Edmund seem to only use quotes when they are trying to make a statement about life or their respective view on things. Even Jamie's poetry deals with prostitutes and drinking and we see him sleeping with prostitutes and drinking. Edmund at one point speaks of a writer that he enjoys who was a heavy drinker that died of consumption. Shakespeare was an actor, like Tyrone, and Tyrone is told that Shakespeare was one who loved his alcohol. Edmund tells his father that the only time he feels at peace is when he feels at one with nature, a longing that could have arisen from those romantic poets that he reads. There are a bunch of other small spots that this shows up, I just think it is interesting that Tyrone, Jamie, and Edmund show a Quixote-like imitation of whatever literature they read, in that their very behavior and thinking seems to come right out of whatever it is that they read.

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